ADC: Tinubu’s Petrol Discount Is a Loan to Nigerians
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government’s proposed petrol price intervention, describing it as a loan to Nigerians that would only postpone the financial burden on citizens.
In a press statement issued in Abuja on Friday, October 9, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the arrangement as cynical and deceitful, arguing that Nigerians would eventually bear the costs suppliers were expected to forgo under the proposed discount.
According to the ADC, the intervention does not provide genuine relief but merely delays payments while allowing the government to claim credit for reducing the immediate burden of high petrol prices.
“The principle is straightforward: what suppliers forgo today, Nigerians will pay later,” the party said, adding that the government wanted to announce a discount and receive public applause while leaving citizens to settle the eventual bill.
The party also faulted the proposed 30-day waiver of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) retail profit margin, describing it as an inadequate response to the country’s rising cost of living.
It argued that the temporary measure would not address the persistent increases in food prices and transportation costs, which continue to affect households across the country.
The ADC maintained that Nigerians needed sustainable economic relief rather than a short-term intervention that would expire after 30 days.
“President Tinubu wants gratitude now and repayment later. He cannot claim to have lifted a burden while making arrangements to put it back after 30 days,” the statement added.
The party further described the proposal as an electoral gimmick, insisting that a deferred payment remained a financial obligation rather than a genuine discount.
